Our History

About Us

Join us for a fun-filled day with the family at our Open Farm, where you can interact with friendly animals, enjoy various family activities, and shop for farm-fresh produce and artisan goods.

Visitor Information

We look forward to welcoming you to our
Third Generation Family Farm

Our farm is a family centered, buggy and wheelchair accessible destination. Located just 5 minutes from the M7 we are easily accessed. Visitors can comfortably stroll around the farm, feed the animals and enjoy our many onsite activities.

We offer all visitors complimentary entry to our farm with their prebooked ticket. Make your booking today and see why we rate so highly on Trip Advisor for yourself.

TIMELINE

Our Farm History

1936

Where it all began, the First Generation

Edward Sexton Snr and his wife Mary Ellen acquired 22 acres, Rathmuck Farm. They raised their family living directly off the land growing vegetables and they kept beef cattle, some dairy cows and pigs.

1965

Second Generation grows the farm

Edward Sexton Jnr and his wife Sinead take the reigns of Rathmuck Farm, double its size and began their journey farming side by side with Eddies parents.

1967

Pigs start to fly

Pig rearing begins on the farm, purchasing and fattening pigs from other local small farmers for sale to butchers.

1968

Milk for more than just the family

Dairy production increases to 50,000 gallons, winning several Breeder Awards in subsequent years for the quality of their herd.

1973

Turkeys arrive for Christmas

Christmas turkey rearing and selling to family, friends and neighbours begins, the seed of the Farm Shop is planted.

1981

Rathmuck Stud, pets to thoroughbreds

Standing our first stallion in this year, Rathmuck Farm welcomed Rathmuck Stud. Over the following years Rathmuck Stud bred several successful race horses and stood a number of throughbred stallions.

1992

Perfect mix

While running a mixed farm, utilising every acre to its maximum the Third Generation of the family were raised.

1995

Third Generation puts down roots

David & his wife Susan decide Rathmuck Farm is home for them.

1997

Kildare Farm Foods is born

New generation new ideas, Turkey farming presented an opportunity, Kildare Farm Foods was born. Selling Turkey from Farm to Fork across Ireland.

2005

Farm Shop Grows

As the business expanded we needed more space to look after our Customers, Friends and Family, the Farm Shop grew. We added a wider range of fresh, frozen and ambient products to our shelves.

2010

A new way to shop

Farming is special, we wanted to share it with everyone. We opened the gates of Rathmuck Farm to let everyone experience the joys of farming.

2010

All Aboard the Railroad Adventure

The day our first train arrived was one of the most exciting in our Open Farms history. It gave us a new fun way to show everyone around the farm.

2012

Sit & Stay

Tractor Cafe is born. Our bright, spacious, 100 seater cafe has something on the menu for everyone.

2013

Santa, Pumpkins and The Easter Bunny

Welcoming Santa to the farm was just the beginning, the Easter Bunny came to visit us soon after and today seasonal activities fill the year, from Scarecrow Trails, Pumpkin Picking to Virtual Reality Rides the fun grows and grows on the farm.

2014

Rain will no longer stop play

Indian Creek home to our Indoor Crazy Golf, Childrens Arcade and Party Rooms opened. Indoor fun arrived to the farm.

2015

Open Farm becomes a Zoo

We achieved our Zoo Licence in this year. This Zoo licence allows us to welcome more animals to the farm, just recently we became home to Meerkats, Porcupines and Giant Tortoise.

2018

Ryan & Corey the Fourth Generation

Ryan & Corey post video updates from our Open Farm and Shop to our social media channels daily. “Hi Guys….See you there!”

2019

Moving forward, going back in time

Bio-diversity and sustainability. Remembering the past and what we learnt from Edward and Mary Ellen, could these old farming ways apply to the modern farm? And so began our Organic Journey.

2019

Hatchery hatched out

Corey always had a keen interest in chickens, ducks and geese, we built his Hatchery this year and he’s been hatching ever since.

2020

Lockdown not downtime

Our Farm Shop remained open throughout, between daily videos from Corey, cups of coffee and smiles delivered to the cars of more vulnerable customers. We like to remember this trying time as a hopeful one here on the farm.

2021

The Organic Orchard

Bio-Diversity is so important to this Generation, Ryan plants our Organic Orchard of over 3000 fruit trees. Carbon neutral, pollinated by our own bee hives, producing our own honey and irrigated by solar power. This will produce fruit and honey for Generations to come.